Chapter 242: Chapter 187: Dirt and Filth (Part 2)

By now, Qin Xuan had wreaked havoc in the four Secret Realms of the Winged Fire Snake, the Star Sun Horse, the Jingmu’an, and the Zhang Yue Deer.

He had slaughtered hundreds of Cultivators from various clans and plundered countless Soul Essences.

His ranking had brazenly shot up to first place on the Seven Stars overall leaderboard, pushing all the Star Mansion Realm Saint Children below him!

The outside world was in a complete uproar.

"It’s him again! That Liu Mobai!"

"How is he able to enter the other Secret Realms?!"

"He’s cheating! He must have used some Heaven-defying Secret Treasure!"

"If this monster isn’t eliminated, the heavens themselves will not stand for it!"

The Golden Core and Nascent Soul Cultivators from the Wing Fire, Zhuyin, Ghost-Gold, Jingmu, Zhang Yue, and many other divisions were both shocked and enraged.

The killing intent from the divisions of the Saint Children and Saintesses whose rankings had been suppressed was particularly potent.

"We can’t let him run rampant any longer!"

The Yanyao Saint Son received a transmission from his division’s Nascent Soul Daoist Monarch. Flames erupted around him as he actually attempted to shatter the Secret Realm’s barrier and cross over to kill Qin Xuan.

Saint Child Youhuan’s eyes turned cold and sinister as a dark vortex materialized before him.

The other top Saint Children were also stirred to action.

"Oh? More Demon Cultivators want to make a delivery to my doorstep?" Qin Xuan said with a faint smile.

He wasn’t afraid.

But at that very moment.

VMMMM—!

An incomparably vast and mighty pressure suddenly descended!

It was as if time itself had frozen.

All commotion was forcefully suppressed by this indescribable, great power.

A calm voice, yet one filled with unquestionable authority, echoed deep within the Divine Soul of every Cultivator.

"The second round is over."

The Water Mirrors in the sky froze, and the tally of every contestant’s Soul Essences stopped.

The two large, golden words, "Liu Mobai," hung at the very top of the leaderboard, blindingly conspicuous!

Immediately after, a figure in a red robe appeared silently high above the center of Vermilion Bird Square.

The newcomer had a simple, ancient face. His eyes seemed turbid, yet they appeared to hold an endless sea of fire, and the aura around him was one with heaven and earth.

Just by standing there, he seemed to be the very center of the world.

It was none other than the Venerable Divinity Transformation of the Liaoyuan Division, Zhu Minghe!

Zhu Minghe’s gaze swept coolly over the entire square. His voice wasn’t loud, yet it clearly entered every person’s ears.

"This boy is my registered disciple. Who among you objects?"

The Saint Children looked as if they had been struck a heavy blow. Their faces paled, and they all retracted their auras and lowered their heads.

A registered disciple?

Those two words were like a clap of thunder, stunning the entire square into dead silence!

The faces of the Nascent Soul Daoist Monarchs who had been the most derisive earlier, such as Ci Tie and Lady of Plague, turned ugly, but not a single one dared to utter another word of doubt.

A Venerable Divinity Transformation had personally vouched for him! Who would dare to object?

Unless they had a death wish!

High in the Nine Heavens, clouds and mist churned.

Several equally vast and cryptic fluctuations of Divine Sense intertwined.

They seemed extremely surprised that Zhu Minghe had personally acted to protect this junior named Liu Mobai.

Zhu Minghe gave a light flick of his sleeve, and a stream of light shot toward the Secret Realms.

The next moment, the figures of Qin Xuan and all the surviving contestants were teleported out, landing on the square.

Qin Xuan felt a blur before his eyes, and he was already back in Star City.

He looked up and met Zhu Minghe’s approving gaze.

"Mo Bai, you did very well."

Thousands of gazes from across the square... all snapped to focus on Qin Xuan.

The next moment, the Token at Qin Xuan’s waist flared with brilliant light.

The character for "One" shone with dazzling radiance!

This was the number one spot for the second round that Qin Xuan had carved out with his own hands!

...

「Ten days later.」

The final round of the Vermilion Bird Grand Competition was held at the "Star City Martial Arts Arena," the very core of Star City.

In the center of the martial arts arena, ten colossal, hundred-zhang-tall platforms were arranged in a circle, resembling ten burning Beacon Towers.

Atop each platform stood a Red Copper Pillar so thick it would take several people to encircle it. Each was inscribed with a radiant title in ancient Demon Runes, representing a young prodigy who was already famous in Star City and held in high esteem.

An old man wearing a Crimson Feather Robe, with a human face and a bird’s beak, floated above the martial arts arena. His aura was as deep as the ocean.

This was the host for the final round of the Grand Competition, Bi Fang Daoist Monarch.

Bi Fang Daoist Monarch’s gaze was like lightning, and his voice carried clearly throughout the entire arena.

"The final round will use a point-based king-of-the-hill system. The rules are as follows:"

"In the central main arena, ten colossal main platforms have been established. Ten Star City Divine Children and Divine Maidens will each guard a main platform, becoming the initial platform masters."

"All other Cultivators may act as challengers and are free to choose any of the secondary platforms to issue a challenge."

"The winner becomes the new platform master and must unconditionally accept any challenge. After each match, the winner will have the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to recover. The loser will have points deducted and must step down."

"For every successful defense of a challenge, you will accumulate 10 points."

"Defeating the current platform master will earn you 30 points at once, and you will become the new platform master. Failing a challenge will result in a deduction of 5 points."

"Achieve ten consecutive successful defenses, and on the tenth day, you will earn the right to challenge a main platform. For defeating a Star City Divine Child for the first time and knocking them from their position as platform master, you will receive an additional 100 points!"

"Finally, the final rankings will be determined by the total points accumulated."

"In the event of a tie in points, the tie will be broken by comparing the number of ’Star City Prodigies’ defeated and the total number of successful defenses."

"The one at the top of the final point leaderboard will be this year’s Grand Competition ’Star Crown’ recipient..."

Bi Fang Daoist Monarch explained the rules in detail.

He placed special emphasis on the massive bonus reward for a "Star City Fall" and the ultimate glory of the "Star Crown."

"The recipient of the Star Crown will directly become a True Disciple of one of the alliance’s Venerable Divinity Transformations... and will be bestowed with a Tier Four Spiritual Object, the Dirt and Filth!"

The final reward announced by Bi Fang Daoist Monarch caused a wave of irrepressible gasps from below!

’Dirt and Filth!’

A legendary Innate Spirit Soil capable of nurturing all things and corrupting all techniques. Moreover, it was a Tier Four Spiritual Object that could help one form an Immaculate Golden Core.

It was a supreme treasure.

Not to mention the status of a True Disciple to a Divinity Transformation expert!

In an instant, the eyes of every contestant burned with intense desire, and their Battle Intent surged to the heavens.